The National tribune., 1887-10-13

the people are decorating their houses with
flags"
Mother, I must dress and go down into the
parlor to see them go by" said Estelle.
Ny darling, you cannot. The doctor has
expressly ordered that you shall not leave your
room for two days yet, till it can be seen
whether you are threatened with the fever or
not. He says that everything depends on thatl'
Mother must 90 down. / would 20 dOwnif
] was sure that il would bring the fever on me
the next day-yes, if / knew that it would kill
me. was never so determined in my life about
anything as / am about this. I don't want to
di5Obey you, mother, darling, or the doctor, bat
you'll forgive me this time will you not2"
The mother explained to the doctor after
ward: " i had to let her 90, for was sure that
nothing that could possibly come from it would
be so bad as restraining her from what she was
determined to do"
" You did quite right in letting her go down.
said the wise old doctor.
Long before the drums began beating ri the
assembly at the company Is rendezvous. mile
away from the house, Estelle, carefully swathed
in shawls, was reclining on a sofa by the win
dow, which commanded full view of the
street.
The drums ceased to beat the signal for
/ gathering. and there was silence.
They are forming now they'll start soOn,"
/ said her father. They've started now" he
added, as the drums and flies broke ont with
=" The Girl Left Behind Me-" 81 guess TlI 20
down on the sidewalk and shake hands with
| some Of them"
/ Nearer came the "wild, strange music Of
war" Estelle shifted her position so as to SEQ
| as far as possible up the street. 10 seemed an
/ age before the head of the little column came
/ in sight.
/ what thunder the drums made! How the
/ flies shrieked! What bad taste to play such a
tune at such time To go OFT with Tilt and
swagger, when at every window were weep
ing eyes and breaking hearts.
Could it be that all those hundred stalwart
youths were leaving girls behind as wretched
as the one who was straiaing her eyes to catch
/ sight of one manly form? LII so, how inefEably
cruel was war
AT last Esteile distinguished Brainard stri6-
ing along by the side of the company, in full
uniform, with drawn sword, returning fare
wells from friends on sidewalks and in win
dows.
"Will he look up--will he think Of me?"
she asked herself, and her little heart almost
stOpt beating, at the dreadful thought that he
might not.
Then she lost sight of him under some allan
thus trees that shaded the sidewalk. The
drums and ffes passed by with a burst of mu-
sic that filed her room, and the company
marched after. She did not see him pass and
strained her streaming eyes to catch a glimpse
of him in the retreating ranks.
Suddenly there struck upon her ear his we'll
known voice
is Miss Dubois inf"
She looked toward the door, and there he
stood, hundredfOld manlier and more attract
i've than she had ever seen him before. Where
she was lying the shadows fell, so that he did
not notice her.
4" Is Miss Dubois IMP" he repeated.
All pride, all reserve. all anger, all thought
of Ray King were thrown TO the winds.
"Tes, Bruce. dear am here" and she strOvs
to rise from her swathings and go to him. He
caught sight of her, sprang to the sofa, raised
her in his strong arms and held her close TO his
breast. After one long kiss she laid her head
upon bis shoulder, and her happy tears came
like Summer rain.
Another manly footstep sounded in the DOOR
way, but neither of the lovers noticed it.
They we're recalled to the world outside them
selves by hearing Ray King say. with an evil
dent effort to maintain his usual calmness:
II called to inquire after Miss DubOis'a
health. / presume, however, that there is no
occasion for any further solicitude on that
} score"
When Maj. Bruce Brainard came home from
Fredericksburg, wounded and breveted for gal
lantry, he and Estelle were married. He was
J Col. Brainard at the close of the war; and the
only rival that Mrs. Estelle Brainard has in
his affections is the GAR. Post of which be
has been an active member for score OF years